Fluorescent lamps are widely used in homes, offices, schools and public buildings because of their high brightness and low cost.
The traditional fluorescent lamp generally comprises a shell, a magnetic ballast, a fluorescent tube, a batten and a starter switch.
The control switch, connected to the fluorescent lamp via a wire, is generally installed on the wall. To turn on or off the lamp, it is necessary to be physically at or near the location of the switch. A simple task no doubt, but consumers these days expect minimum inconvenience and maximum comfort in the daily appliances used, including lamps that can be dimmed or brightened with ease to suit the activities at hand.
Currently, there are a couple of products from our research that try to meet these needs and expectations.
One such product is the remote dimmable control by wiring between a vary voltage device and a remote electronic ballast that has a potentiometer adjuster or dimmer contained in its power supply circuit. Even it services the purpose of changing the brightness of the fluorescent lamp, the adjustment of the desired brightness of the lamp is not convenient. It must be performed by hand on the voltage vary device and usually the usage is limited to electrical professionals who design the wiring and installation by themselves.
There is another kind of dimmable fluorescent lamp that utilizes an infrared remote controller for brightness adjustment. It was found that the brightness levels of these fluorescent lamps are predefined and fixed. Thus, this kind of fluorescent lamp is still inconvenient for the consumers and cannot meet the expectations and requirements.